


Wedding Bells

by IBoatedHere



Series: Post Bleachers: Domestic Bliss [6]
Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Background Anna/Selah, Cold Feet, Food, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-25
Updated: 2016-04-25
Packaged: 2018-06-04 12:16:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6657409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IBoatedHere/pseuds/IBoatedHere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anna and Selah get married.</p><p>Caleb is very proud of the cake he made.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wedding Bells

“I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride. And then you’ll kiss and everyone will clap. You know how it goes.”

Caleb sits barefoot with his toes curling in the still warm sand watching the rehearsal. 

They’re lit by the lamps in the parking lot and the twinkling lights the staff is setting up inside the hall. 

Ben’s father is officiating and Anna and Selah are standing on either side of him. 

Anna’s hair looks a little frizzy and windblown from the ocean air and Abigail is fanning herself with her hand. The sun went down a few hours ago but the summer humidity is still sticking around. 

Ben’s a groomsmen.

Selah doesn't have a very big family so he had to hunt to fill his side of the wedding party. He has his brother and his father and his five year old nephew as the ringbearer and Ben. 

“I know we weren’t the closest in high school but you’re one of Anna’s best friends. I feel like you should be involved. Caleb I would ask you too but I know you’re busy with the catering I figured you wouldn’t have time.”

He’s right and Caleb’s feelings weren't hurt. He knows the food is the most important part anyways.

“Do you think I should ask Abe?” 

Ben and Caleb had looked at each other and very resolutely said ‘no’. 

Caleb had been talking to the waitstaff during the first half of the rehearsal to make sure they understood the order in which his dishes need to be brought out and how much time needs to be between courses. He’s planned it out perfectly in his head. 

Everything needs to go smoothly tomorrow for Anna. 

He’s been catering pretty steadily for six months. 

The idea came to him out of the blue one night. 

He was just about to fall asleep when he sat up straight, shook Ben awake beside him and firmly declared “catering.”

Ben had pulled himself out of Caleb’s grasp and rolled over with a pillow covering his face.

“Catering. Why don’t I cater? I could do all the cooking here and the jeep is big enough to transport things. If we go to one more shitty frat party with disgusting food I’m enrolling here, getting in, and taking them down from the inside.”

“We could just stop going to frat parties.”

“No way. All the free beer.”

“Point. Babe, really happy you’ve found your life calling-.”

“Not my life calling. Just for now. It’ll help me take in a little extra money. I think I want to actually open a restaurant or a bakery? Why not both? I could do it. What do you think?”

“I think I’m so happy for you but I was just about to fall asleep. Can we talk about it in the morning?”

Caleb yanked the pillow away, kissed his cheek and sprang out of bed where he furiously scribbled down notes on the living room couch about menus and what color paint should be on the walls. 

He catered his first frat party, a friend of a friend of a friend of Nathan’s, and it took off from there. 

Soon he was all over campus making food for parties and meetings for clubs. He makes quite a name for himself and Ben tells him he’s the most talked about person at Yale and he doesn’t even go to Yale. Sure, he gets paid in beer and crumpled up twenties but it’s something. 

“When do I have to start paying taxes on this? Do I even need to? They pay me in cash.”

“That’s called getting paid under the table and it’s illegal. You should know that. You’re in business school.”

“I know that but how long can it go on before I have to start paying.”

“Caleb, you have to pay taxes on your income. I’m not going to get elected to anything if my boyfriend is arrested for tax fraud.”

“Husband,” Caleb said offhandedly. “We’ll be married by then.”

That managed to shut Ben up. He blushed and looked back down at his notes and Caleb didn’t even try to hide his smile.

He found the storefront a few months later. There was a for rent sign faded and barely hanging in the corner of the window and the next thing he knew he was inside with the real estate agent then signing papers. 

It didn't hit him until the way home that he just made a major mistake. 

“I did something stupid.”

Ben looked up from his laptop with a frown. 

Caleb apologized the whole ride to the store and still as Ben stood in the middle of the room with his hands on his hips and looked around. When he finally turned back to Caleb he said “not a great neighborhood.”

Caleb leaned against the counter and felt it shift beneath his weight. “The worst.”

“But it could still work.”

“No it can’t. I don’t know what I was thinking, I got too ahead of myself. I’m not even done with my first year of school and I bought this? It was dirt cheap for a reason. I think someone was murdered here, Ben. It’s probably haunted.”

“I’m sure that’s not true. I think they have to tell you if it’s haunted and honestly, this isn’t even that bad. It’s nothing you can’t fix. Look what you did to the jeep. That thing still runs great and it’s about six years past its expiration date.”

“Look at this place, Ben, look at it.” 

On cue a piece of molding fell from the wall. 

“It’s garbage.”

“It’s all superficial. I think. We can have someone come in and inspect it and if there’s something truly wrong with it and the realtor didn’t tell you then we can get Abe involved and see if there’s a way for you to lawyer your way out of it. But we can work with this. I’ll help and I bet Nathan will too and you know Sam is always looking for something to do on the weekends. So,” he hopped up on the counter and Caleb winced.

“That might not hold your weight.”

“It’s fine. What are your big plans? I’ve seen you scribbling in that notebook which I very respectfully and maturely have not looked at. So,” he knocked his foot against Caleb's knee. “Tell me what you want.”

Caleb stepped between his knees, put a hand in his hair, and kissed him. 

A bit has been done to the store. They cleaned it up a little and between Caleb's actual and online classes, Ben's applications for grad school, his finals, and graduation, Nathan and Sam’s free time they managed to clean it up a bit. They cleaned the kitchen till it was spotless and installed an oven, a stovetop, and a fridge. 

It's enough for now. It's storage. It's a promise of more to come. 

When Anna ask him to cater her wedding, including make the cake, he gladly accepted and knocked twenty five percent off her price. 

The second half of rehearsal he chased Saleh's nephew around the beach. He walked down the aisle with a fake ring (they didn't trust him with the real ones quite yet) and quickly got bored and Caleb took over. 

Now he's sleeping in his mother's arms and Caleb is sitting in the sand watching Anna leave the altar and make a beeline towards him. 

“How’s everything going?” She’s chewing on the edge of her fingernail. They’re not painted yet. That’ll come tomorrow. Caleb looks over to where they had been standing. Nate is talking to Selah and Anna’s parents. Abigail and Anna’s sisters are down by the water. Ben and Selah are walking away from everyone down the beach shoulder to shoulder.

When he looks back to Anna she’s still chewing on her nail, eyes darting around.

“Fine. Great. I think the wait staff has it down so all I’ll have to do is show up and they’ll take over. They seem like good people. I want to thank you in advance for the open bar, by the way. I’m going to need it.”

“How's the cake?”

The cake is amazing. It’s the best thing he’s ever done. He tested the flavors extensively with Ben until Ben couldn’t take anymore. Then he moved onto to Nathan who put up with twice the amount that Ben did.The cake is his pride and joy. Four tiers of alternating vanilla and chocolate iced in a rich buttercream and covered in smooth white fondant with blue and silver accents. It’s simple but beautiful especially for his first time. He only has a few more details left to complete. Finishing touches. 

“The cake is great, Anna. You’re gonna be so happy.”

If Caleb could he’d marry the cake. Ben would probably understand. 

“Uh huh, uh huh.” She nods her head and looks like she’s going to chew her finger clean off.

“Is everything okay with you?” Caleb asks gently. 

She opens her eyes wide and nods her head then squeezes them shut and shakes it. “I’m going to call off the wedding.”

Caleb blinks then mumbles _“oh shit.”_

“I have to do it,” she says tersely and sits down heavily next to him in the sand. 

“Alright, okay, let’s talk about this.”

“I don’t know what there’s to talk about. I’m cancelling the wedding. I can’t get married tomorrow.”

“What happened? You were so excited. You’ve been handling on the wedding planning like a pro, you texted us all a picture of you in your dress with two dozen exclamation points, the cake-.”

“Oh the cake, Caleb,” she reaches for his hand. “The cake and all the food. You’ve done so much work for me. Everyone has and I’m making it all for nothing. I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize.”

He’s mourning the cake but putting on a brave face. He and Ben will have to eat it all, if Ben is even interested in cake anymore. It’s supposed to feed sixty. Maybe he can disassemble it and freeze it. He could donate it. Or give it to one of the nicer fraternities or sororities. The girls were always a bit nicer to him or at least better smelling. They’d appreciate the artistry that went into it. 

“Just talk to me. Tell me what’s going on. Did Selah say something or do something?”

“No, no, he didn’t do anything. Nothing happened. It’s just...how do I know I’m not making a mistake? People get divorced so quickly now. How do I know it’s not going to happen to me? I don’t want to get divorced.”

Her fingernails dig into his arm.

“I guess you don’t really know. You just take a chance,” he shrugs and Anna blinks slowly at him. “You’re getting cold feet. It’s normal. It’s natural. People get nervous all the time, even for things they’re actually excited about. Do you love him?”

“Of course I do.”

“Well then there you go.”

“Just because I love him doesn’t mean we should get married.”

“That’s true.”

“You’re supposed to be talking me into this.”

“I don’t want to talk you into anything. I want you to be happy. I want you to want to get married.”

“I’m freaking out, Caleb.”

“Yeah,” Caleb laughs a little. “I can see that.”

“At my rehearsal dinner. Could I pick a worse time?”

“Right before you walk down the aisle might be a little worse. At least you’re doing it hours in advance.”

“How did you know it was Ben? How do you know you’re never going to find someone else?”

Just thinking about it seems ridiculous.

“Who else would it be?” He says simply. “He’s the only one I want to see everyday. I never get tired of him. I mean, we fight sometimes.”

“You do?”

He thinks about their two minute break up before he left for Europe. It feels like a lifetime ago. 

About telling Ben about what those women said at that debate and how he was entertaining the idea of leaving just to give Ben a shot at a successful and easy life.

The money from his parents. 

About their daily bickering over the settings on the toaster. _“You always turn it all the way and it comes out burnt.” “It comes out toasted, it’s toast. You like warm bread. Stick it in the microwave.” “Just dial it back once you’re done, it’s not that hard.” “You dial it back. Not my fault you can’t remember. Why do you need toast anyways? I just made you scrambled eggs and hashbrowns...don’t you dare smother those with ketchup. Dammit Ben.”_

“Sure we do. No two people one hundred percent happy with each other all the time. There’s bound to be a little conflict in there somewhere. We fight and we call each other assholes but that’s it. There’s no ending it. We never walk away from each other for good. You know, he’s the only one I want to spend time with but he’s the only one I want to fight with too.”

“You’re so lucky.”

He knocks her shoulder with his. “So are you. He loves you and you love him and it’s going to work out. Look how lucky we both are.”

There are tears in her eyes when she hugs him tight and thanks him for everything he’s done for her. 

“Oh, there you guys are,” Ben appears over the rise of sand. “ Anna, Abigail is looking for you. She’s getting ready to leave.”

Anna pushes herself up and throws her arms around Ben. 

“Thank you.” 

“Okay,” he wraps his arms around her and shoots Caleb a questioning look over her shoulder. “You’re welcome, I guess.”

She pulls back and rests her hand on the side of his face.

“Oh, Ben, please cut your hair before the wedding tomorrow.”

She pats his face then walks towards Selah. She takes his outstretched hand when she gets close enough. 

“Wow. That was rude.”

Caleb laughs as Ben pulls him up.

“She alright?”

“She’s fine. I think. I little nervous.”

Ben shrugs. “It happens. Selah’s nervous too. Between you and me I just spend the last fifteen minutes talking him down.”

Ben keeps walking and Caleb stops.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” he reaches out for Caleb’s hand and Caleb takes it. “It’s okay though. He’s fine. It’s pre-wedding jitters. He’s not going to make a run for it. Don’t know why he wanted to talk to me though.”

We’re everyone’s model relationship.

“I have so much sand in my shoes.”

“I don’t even know where my shoes are.”

 

*****

 

“Do you think she should’ve invited Abe?”

Ben plunks down next to him, tie loose and newly short hair styled back perfectly. 

The wedding went off without a hitch. Anna and Selah both said _I do_ without hesitation (Anna winked at Caleb as she walked by on her father’s arm), the waiters did exactly what they were told, and everyone has told him how gorgeous and delicious the cake was.

He’s been sitting at the head table all night with the rest of the wedding party and Caleb’s been at one of the front tables with Abe, Nathan, Nate, and a few of Anna’s cousins. 

Right now Abe is at the bar with Nathan. They’ve been there for awhile and the poor bartender looks like she’s not getting paid enough to put up with him and Nathan keeps looking at Caleb like he wants to switch places with him, which is what they agreed to do, and Caleb keeps ignoring him.

“I don’t know. He’s not having a good time but I think it would be cruel to not invite him. He might have taken that more personally. At least here we can keep an eye on him.”

“I’m shocked he didn’t say something during the ceremony.

“Nathan threatened him and was ready to tackle him into the sand at any given moment. It was tense time. You look nice.”

There’s a soft blush spreading across his face. “You already said that.”

“I’m saying it again. Are you blushing? I can’t believe you still blush after everything we’ve done.”

“I’m not blushing,” he knocks Caleb’s hand away when he tries to poke his cheek. “It’s warm.”

“It’s not that warm.”

It has cooled down a lot and Caleb’s secretly glad Ben made him bring his suit jacket with him and not just leave it in the car. 

Anna appearing beside them effectively derails the conversation. 

“Ben, go dance with my sister.”

“Which one?”

“Catherine. You know she’s had a crush on you since she was ten.”

Caleb and Ben share a look and Caleb says “should you tell her or should I?”

“She already knows. She was heartbroken but she got over it. Please Ben, it would thrill her.”

“You okay with that?” He asks Caleb and Caleb waves him off.

“Yes, of course,” he waits for Ben to stand before he adds, “leave me for a teenager.”

Anna smiles softly as she watches him ask Catherine who blushes furiously but accepts his hand. Then she’s holding her own out to Caleb and tugging him up.

“Don’t step on my feet, though,” Anna tells him and wiggles her baretoes against the the dance floor. She took off her heels hours ago. 

“I could say the same to you.”

“So…”

“So....”

“So you’re next.”

“Stop.”

“I’m serious.”

“Ben didn’t even catch the bouquet.”

“He wanted to though.”

“He’s competitive. It’s in his nature. Did you like the cake?”

“Loved it and don’t change the subject. You two have been together forever and it’s obvious you’re headed that way so why not head there a little faster? I could help you. I’m kind of an expert. How do you feel about catering your own wedding?”

“We’re at your wedding and you’re already planning another?”

“I’ve got the bug. Come on now. When are you going to ask him?”

“We’re so busy.”

“It takes approximately ten seconds to get down on one knee and ask. You don’t have to have the wedding right away. You know we didn’t.”

Caleb looks down at their feet then over to Ben who is still dancing with Catherine. Catherine’s smiling at something he’s said.

“I don’t mean to pressure you.”

Caleb laughs. “That’s exactly what you’re doing.”

“Well, maybe, a little but I want you to be happy and I’ve never seen anyone happier than the two of you when you’re together. All those things you said about him, Caleb….are you worried he’s going to say no?”

“No. We’ve talked about it, it’s just….”

“You’re nervous? You know someone once told me people get nervous for all kinds of reasons.”

“He’s sound like a douchebag.”

“Sometimes.”

Caleb laughs and Anna kisses his cheek. 

“I just want what’s best for the two of you.”

A few songs later- Caleb dances with Abigail twice and Anna’s older sister once- he leaves the dance floor to find Ben. 

He's talking to Nathan at the bar while Abe leans against it. 

Ben's sipping champagne from an elegant glass and Nathan has a beer between his fingers. 

They're talking about grad school. It's what they're always talking about lately. Ben got his acceptance letter last week but Nathan is still waiting and not handling it well. 

“The stress is killing me,” Nathan says. “Is it ever over?”

“No, it’s never over. You stay in school until you get a job and it’s never over.”

Caleb shakes his head at Ben's drama and without looking Ben lifts his arm so Caleb can step in and press against his side. He drops his cheek to the top of nods along to what Nathan is saying. The casual intimacy in a room full of strangers suggests he’s had more than that glass of champagne but Caleb still feels a rush of affection for him. 

“Come with me.”

He cuts Nathan off so abruptly even Abe looks surprised. Ben’s arm falls from his shoulder when Caleb steps back, crooks and finger into Ben’s belt loop and tugs. 

“I’m drinking.”

“Bring it with ya, just follow me.”

Ben puts the glass down and Caleb leads him out of the party and down the beach. The noise fades behind the further they get and Caleb ignores Ben’s questions until they hit the parking lot and Caleb navigates through the cars and backs him against a red minivan.

“Do you know where we are?”

“Parking lot. I did just graduate from Yale. Who does Anna know that drives a minivan?”

Caleb silences him with a kiss, hard and intense. Ben meets him and keeps it going and when they pull apart Ben's perfect hair i mussed and they're both breathing heavy. 

“You okay?” Ben asks, forehead pressed against Calebs. 

“This is where I first told you I loved you.”

Ben looks up and catches his bearings. It was years ago but he’ll never forget it. Soaking wet from the ill-advised swim, bare feet on sun soaked pavement, wrapped up in a towel and Caleb. 

“We should get married.”

He’s laser focused on Caleb again. “What?”

“Marry me.”

“Are you drunk?”

“No. You said it yourself, it’s never over. It’s never going to get easier so what are we waiting for? You’re it for me so let’s do it. I want to do it. We don’t have to actually get married right away if you’re worried about timing. We can wait until you’re out of school for good and then do it. We can take as long as we want to plan it. I don’t actually hate the idea of just going down to city hall either. We can talk about it.”

“Caleb.”

“And I don’t have rings right now but I could get them.”

“Caleb.”

I want you to know that I want it all with you. I’m in this. I promise. I want you to know that. We don’t have to tell anyone about it tonight if you’re worried about stealing Anna’s thunder, although I should point out that this was her idea.”

“Caleb.”

“Not her idea, really, but she did encourage me to do it now.”

“Caleb,” Ben says, exasperated as he covers Caleb’s mouth with his hand. “You're not giving me a chance to answer you.”

“I want to make sure you know where I'm coming from.”

Ben rolls his eyes and hauls him in for a kiss by the collar of his dress shirt.

“I'm saying yes.”

**Author's Note:**

> I was going to have this be the final installment of this series but now I don't know. I'll have to see what the new season brings.


End file.
